CBI director Ranjit Sinha may have claimed before the Supreme Court that the media was invading his privacy by publishing names of those who frequented his residence, but a scrutiny of a copy of the guest register kept at his 2, Janpath, residence makes it clear that many of his visitors were
prominent people entangled in his agency’s investigations, raising questions of a possible conflict of interest.

While the CBI was probing the coal scam, Vijay Darda and his son Devendra – both accused in the case — visited Sinha’s home, according to the guest book. While Vijay met him in January 2014, Devendra visited Sinha 10 times between February and April 2014. The agency filed a chargesheet against the Dardas in the coal scam on March 27, 2014, sources said.

Similarly, Tony Jesudasan and AN Sethuraman of the Reliance Anil Dhirubai Ambani Group (ADAG) – whose three officials are facing trial in the 2G case – seemed frequent visitors. Jesudasan’s name appears at least 23 times against entries made between May 2013 and August 2014, while Sethuraman’s name appears 25 times against entries made between June 2013 and August 2014, the sources said.

The name of Mahendra Nahata, managing director of Himachal Futuristics Communications Ltd, appears 64 times against entries made between May 2013 and August 2014. Nahata came under the CBI’s scanner with regard to Datacom Services, one of the alleged beneficiaries of the 2G scam, sources said.

The register is full of entries against the name of Moin Qureshi, the alleged hawala operator and Kanpur-based meat exporter who was raided by the IT department earlier this year. Many entries refer to him as ‘Qureshiji.’ Former CBI director AP Singh, believed close to Qureshi, is said to have visited Sinha on February 3, 2014 and April 22, 2014.

Names of politicians in the book include that of former law minister Salman Khurshid, former minister Subodh Kant Sahay, Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

The SC has asked advocate Prashant Bhushan, also the 2G scam petitioner, to file an affidavit along with a copy of the visitors’ logbook and the matter will be taken up on Monday.